Former basketball player now UW receiver

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Dane Looker

Dane Looker, now the starting flanker for the University of Washington, was not running out-patterns or catching long passes, he was driving to the hoop and dishing the rock.

But that was two years ago. This is today.

Saturday night he will be part of the brigade that leads No. 20 Washington into Husky Stadium to take on No. 14 Arizona.

Looker has impressed himself and opponents in the Pacific 10 Conference this season by leading the conference in receptions per game. He also leads UW in receptions with 18 and in yards with 185. These numbers were set in only two games, as he missed the game against BYU due to a bruised thigh.

"It's kind of amazing," Looker said. "I was just hoping to get on the field somewhere. This is a lot more than I expected."

Looker burst onto the scene in his first Division I college football game at Sun Devil Stadium, where he was a major factor in the Huskies' 42-38 victory over Arizona State.

Looker and Brock Huard, his former high school teammate and current Husky quarterback, hooked up 11 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.

Huard has been a major influence on the ability and playing time of Looker. It was Huard who convinced Looker to transfer from Western Washington and turn in the shorts and tank top for the pads and helmet.

This year, that transfer has paid major dividends for both of them.

"I'm not sure I'm his go-to guy," Looker said. "In the first couple of games I had the biggest mismatch in terms of which cornerback I played."

Go-to guy or not, Looker has made opposing coaches well aware of his talents at the wideout position.

"He looks like he's both (quick and has good hands)," UA head coach Dick Tomey said. "He's very quick, he used to be a basketball player, so he knows how to run very precise routes."

While attending high school in Puyallup, Wash., his hometown, Looker was an all-state selection who also graduated with a 3.7 grade point average.

"I was the all-league, all-state player, all those accolade deals," Looker said. "I wasn't real big or strong, I had average speed, good hands and I knew all the plays. Basically I just had a real good quarterback."

Looker walked on and redshirted his first year of football at Washington after transferring. And even though he did not play in UW's spring game due to a stained hamstring, he still won the job as the starting flanker.

"That I could even make the team when so many walk-ons try and fail; then just to get the opportunity to play, and now to lead the Pac-10, I just never expected it," Looker said.

As his amount of playing time increases, Looker has seen his goals achieved one by one.

"First I just wanted to make the team. Then to hit the field, then to play," Looker said. "Now my goal is to play with consistency."

Consistency has been the name of the game for this 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound junior

"He's a tremendous addition to their receiving corps," Tomey said.

As for thinking of post-season honors, Looker doesn't deny they would be great, but he understands that there is a long way to go for him as an inexperienced player.

"I don't want to tail off after two good games," Looker said. "I'll worry about all the honors and accolades later, now I just got to work on improving every week."

Dan Rosen can be reached via e-mail at Dan.Rosen@wildcat.arizona.edu.